Corporate Leadership

Paul T. McDermott

President and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Paul T. McDermott was elected to the Board of Trustees and named President and Chief Executive Officer of Washington REIT in October 2013. Prior to joining Washington REIT, he was Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Rockefeller Group Investment Management Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. from June 2010 to September 2013. Prior to joining The Rockefeller Group, he served from 2006 to 2010 as Principal and Chief Transaction Officer at PNC Realty Investors. Between 2002 and 2006, Mr. McDermott held two primary officer roles at Freddie Mac -- Chief Credit Officer of the Multifamily Division and Head of Multifamily Structured Finance and Affordable Housing. From 1997 to 2002, he served as Head of the Washington, D.C. Region for Lend Lease Real Estate Investments.

Stephen E. Riffee

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Stephen E. Riffee joined Washington REIT as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer-elect on February 17, 2015. Mr. Riffee then was elected Chief Financial Officer on March 4, 2015. Prior to joining Washington REIT, Mr. Riffee served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT), an NYSE office REIT, from 2006 to February 2015. In this role he oversaw all financial functions, including accounting, financial planning and analysis, tax, treasury, capital markets and investor relations. Additionally, Mr. Riffee oversaw the legal department and information technology at COPT. Between 2002 and 2006, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for CarrAmerica Realty Corporation, a national NYSE public office REIT.

Thomas Q. Bakke

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Thomas Q. Bakke was named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Washington REIT in April 2014. Prior to joining Washington REIT, he was Senior Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield where he was the Market Leader for Northern Virginia. From February 2007 to January 2012, Mr. Bakke held the position of Market Managing Director at Equity Office Properties, a national commercial real estate owner and a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group. Over his 20 plus years at Equity Office Properties, Mr. Bakke held a variety of other senior positions with the company and its predecessors including Senior Vice President, National Leasing and Senior Vice President, Field Operations. Mr. Bakke is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and has a MBA in Finance, attending MIT's Sloan School of Management and Golden Gate University.

Taryn D. Fielder

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Ms. Taryn Fielder joined Washington REIT as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary on March 29, 2017. Prior to joining Washington REIT, Ms. Fielder served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for ASB Real Estate Investments, a privately-held real estate investment management firm, from 2013 to March 2017. In this role, she was responsible for all legal affairs of the company, including property acquisitions, leasing and finance; fund formation; investor relations; compliance matters and human resources. She also served as the principal legal advisor to the firm’s management team. From 2011-2013, Ms. Fielder was the Assistant General Counsel of DiamondRock Hospitality Company, a publicly-traded hospitality REIT. Prior to her in-house career, she practiced corporate and real estate law at Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York City and Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells) in Washington, D.C. and served as Deputy General Counsel of the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee. Ms. Fielder is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Eckerd College.

Edward J. Murn, IV

Managing Director, Development and Multifamily Division

Mr. Edward J. Murn, IV, joined Washington REIT in April 2013 as Managing Director, Residential Division. Prior to joining Washington REIT, he was Director of Development at The Tower Companies from September 2008 to March 2013, where he was responsible for metro D.C. area projects including The Blairs, White Flint Mall, and Tower Oaks. His previous experience was as Vice President of Multifamily Development and Team Leader at Kettler, Inc. from 2004 to 2008; as Director of Acquisitions & Development, Northeast Investment Group at Archstone-Smith Trust from 2001 to 2004; and as Director of Capital Markets at Charles E. Smith Residential Realty, Inc. from 2000 to 2001. Mr. Murn began his professional career as a banker with Citizens Bank of Maryland and First Horizon Construction Lending. Mr. Murn is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and Johns Hopkins Real Estate Forum.

Michael T. McDonald

Managing Director, Real Estate Services

Mr. Michael T. McDonald is Managing Director, Real Estate Services, responsible for project management, engineering, energy, and environmental services. He joined Washington REIT in January 2007 as Director of Engineering. Prior to joining Washington REIT, Mr. McDonald served as President for EMCOR Services (Combustioneer), a mechanical services subsidiary of EMCOR Group. From 1999 to 2005, he was Vice President & Regional Manager for Building Technology Engineers, where he managed National Accounts and was responsible for Mid-Atlantic regional services. Over his thirteen years with Fidelity Investments, he held a number of roles, including Director of Real Estate. He has also held positions as an engineering officer in the merchant marine (Department of Defense), and LTJG with the Unites States Naval Reserve. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering from Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Tabitha M. Brittain, RPA

Vice President, Property Management

Ms. Tabitha M. Brittain joined Washington REIT in February 1997 and currently serves as Vice President of Property Management for the Office and Retail Division. Over her eighteen years with Washington REIT she has held a number of roles including leading the property management teams for the industrial, medical office, and retail portfolios. She has a variety of experience in the oversight of commercial property operations, project management, customer service, acquisitions and dispositions, and emergency preparedness. Ms. Brittain received her Bachelor of Science in International Business and Economics from the Pennsylvania State University. She is an active member in CREW and AOBA.

Anthony C. Chang

Vice President, Asset Management

Mr. Anthony C. Chang joined Washington REIT in September 2014 as a Senior Director, Asset Management to reposition its Virginia Office portfolio. Prior to Washington REIT, Mr. Chang was a trusted advisor to corporate clients as a leasing broker with Cassidy Turley where he serviced more than 2.5 Million SF in agency listings and closed transactions in excess of $75 Million. Before relocating to DC, he was an Asset Manager for Broadway Partners in NYC overseeing a portfolio in New York, Washington, and Boston where he consummated over $100M in leases and $900M in dispositions. Prior to joining Broadway, Mr. Chang was a General Manager with Hines and started his career with Tishman Speyer at Rockefeller Center with roles in construction, facilities, and property management. He holds degrees in Government and Economics from Cornell, a Masters in Real Estate from New York University, and he is a member of ULI.

Tejal R. Engman

Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

Ms. Tejal R. Engman joined Washington REIT in March 2015 as Director, Investor Relations. She has overall accountability for external communications to key stakeholders and the investment community at large, as well as the media. Prior to joining Washington REIT, Ms. Engman served as Vice President in the Institutional Equities’ division at Deutsche Bank where she provided research-based investment advice to analysts and portfolio managers’ at institutional asset management firms including Fidelity, TIAA-CREF, JP Morgan and Principal Global Investments. From 2006 to 2009 she was an Associate in the Institutional Equities division at JPMorgan where she primarily worked with institutional investors based in The Netherlands and Belgium. Ms. Engman received a BSc. in Economics and International Relations from The London School of Economics.

Susan Lilly Gerock

Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer

Ms. Gerock joined Washington REIT in April 2016 as Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. In her capacity, she is responsible for the leadership, integrative management and direction for company information systems including corporate-wide planning, budgeting for information technologies and coordination and integration of all company information technology matters. She has over 22 years of management and information technology experience in commercial real estate, manufacturing and retail. Prior to joining Washington REIT, she held various roles at Corporate Office Properties Trust, her most recent serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. She previously served as a Senior Information Technology Director for CarrAmerica and as an Information Technology Director for Archstone-Smith. Ms. Gerock holds an undergraduate degree from The College of William & Mary and holds a Master of Science, Management of Information Technology degree from the University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce. Ms. Gerock is active in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake.

Brian Guttman

Vice President, Human Resources

Mr. Brian Guttman joined Washington REIT in March 2015 as Senior Director, Human Resources. In 2016 he was promoted to Vice President of Human Resources. He has overall accountability for Talent Management, Leadership Development, Compensation, Benefits and Cultural Change. Prior to joining Washington REIT, Mr. Guttman was Leadership Development and Organizational Effectiveness Director at Freddie Mac where he was responsible for talent reviews, succession planning, leadership coaching and leadership assessments. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Guttman was Senior Director of HR Strategy for Equity Office Properties where he was accountable for HR strategy, leadership development, compensation and employee relations. He holds a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management from Marymount University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Government & Law from Lafayette College, and a certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University. Mr. Guttman is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and its Washington, D.C. chapter.

W. Drew Hammond

Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller

Mr. Drew Hammond joined Washington REIT in October 2012 as Controller. In July 2015, he was named Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller. In this capacity, he has overall responsibility for accounting operations, including accounts payable, payroll, property accounting and lease administration. He also oversees financial reporting, technical accounting, accounting policy and income taxes. Prior to joining Washington REIT, he held various roles at CapitalSource, Inc., a commercial financial lending company, from 2003 – 2012. He served as Controller beginning in 2007, where he had primary oversight of accounting operations, accounts payable, expense reporting, financial reporting, equity accounting, payroll and accounting for debt, equity investments and derivatives. Prior to serving as Controller, he served as Assistant Controller and Manager of Financial Reporting. Prior to joining CapitalSource in 2003, Mr. Hammond was a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young LLP from May 2002 to December 2003, and held various positions in the assurance practice at Arthur Andersen LLP from 1995 to 2002. Mr. Hammond earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accounting from Washington and Lee University and is a certified public accountant.

Andrew E. Leahy

Vice President, Investments

Mr. Andrew E. Leahy joined Washington REIT in November 2014 and serves as Vice President, Investments. In this role he oversees the firm’s Investment activity (Acquisitions & Dispositions) across asset classes: Office, Retail, & Multifamily. Prior to joining Washington REIT, Mr. Leahy was Senior Director, National Office Acquisitions at Rockefeller Group Investment Management Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. where he was responsible for sourcing, underwriting, structuring, and closing real estate investments in major US markets. From 2004 to 2010, Mr. Leahy worked in Acquisitions at Fidelity Real Estate Group, a unit of Fidelity Investments investing in multiple asset classes throughout the US on behalf of a series of closed-end, value-add funds. Mr. Leahy began his career at The Blackstone Group. He holds a BSBA in Finance from Georgetown University and a Masters of Business Administration from Columbia University with a dual concentration in Real Estate and Finance & Economics.

Kelly N. Shiflett, CFA

Vice President, Finance and Treasurer

Ms. Kelly N. Shiflett joined Washington REIT in April 2006 as Senior Manager, Finance. In 2008, she was promoted to Director, Finance, and in July 2015, Ms. Shiflett was named Vice President, Finance and Treasurer of Washington REIT. Her areas of responsibilities include Capital Markets, Financial Planning and Analysis and Cash Management. Prior to joining Washington REIT, she was Lead Analyst at NASDAQ Stock Market from 1999 to 2006 where she worked in the Listing Qualifications Department. From 1995 to 1999, she was a Loan Officer at FNMB – The Mortgage Company. Ms. Shiflett holds a Master of Business Administration from University of Maryland, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Wake Forest University. Ms. Shiflett is a CFA® charterholder.

Mandi L. Wedin

Vice President, Asset Management

Ms. Mandi L. Wedin joined Washington REIT in 2015 as Senior Director, Asset Management, Office Portfolio. In 2016, Ms. Wedin assumed responsibility for the retail portfolio along with a portion of the office portfolio located in Washington, DC. Prior to joining Washington REIT, Ms. Wedin was a Vice President at ASB Real Estate Investments, working on the investments and the client services team. From 1998 to 2006, Ms. Wedin worked on the Asset Management team at Kennedy Associates Real Estate Counsel, responsible for assets located across the country. Ms. Wedin graduated with a Master of Science in Real Estate from the John Hopkins University, and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages – French and Russian. Ms. Wedin is a board member of CREW Washington DC.

A. Grant Montgomery

Director, Research

Mr. A. Grant Montgomery joined Washington REIT in July 2014 as Director, Research. He provides market intelligence for strategic initiatives that optimize acquisitions, development and dispositions. Prior to joining Washington REIT, he served for nine years as a Senior Vice President and Apartment Practice Director at Delta Associates, a Washington, DC real estate and economic consulting firm. In this role he managed multifamily, retail and office market studies throughout the U.S. and was the research director and primary author of the firm’s Mid-Atlantic multifamily reports. Previously Mr. Montgomery held roles with PricewaterhouseCoopers and McShea & Company. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Wake Forest University and a Master of Science in Real Estate from the Johns Hopkins University.

Board of Trustees

Charles T. Nason

Chairman, Washington REIT, Retired Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Acacia Group

Mr. Charles T. Nason is retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Acacia Group of Washington, D.C. (including Acacia Life, Acacia Federal Savings Bank and the Calvert Group LTD.), now a member company of the Ameritas Group as a result of the merger of the two organizations in 1999. He served Acacia from 1977 to 2005, including as Chief Executive Officer from 1988 to 2003. Mr. Nason is a past Chairman and director of The Greater Washington Board of Trade and the Federal City Council. He served as a director of MedStar Health from 2001 to 2010 and was a member of the Economic Club of Washington. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Washington and Jefferson College, and served as its Chairman from 2007 to 2010. In addition, he is a past director of The American Council of Life Insurers and past Chairman of the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association.

Paul T. McDermott

President and Chief Executive Officer, Washington REIT

Paul T. McDermott was elected to the Board of Trustees and named President and Chief Executive Officer of Washington REIT in October 2013. Prior to joining Washington REIT, he was Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Rockefeller Group Investment Management Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. from June 2010 to September 2013. Prior to joining The Rockefeller Group, he served from 2006 to 2010 as Principal and Chief Transaction Officer at PNC Realty Investors. Between 2002 and 2006, Mr. McDermott held two primary officer roles at Freddie Mac -- Chief Credit Officer of the Multifamily Division and Head of Multifamily Structured Finance and Affordable Housing. From 1997 to 2002, he served as Head of the Washington, D.C. Region for Lend Lease Real Estate Investments.

Benjamin S. Butcher

Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of STAG Industrial, Inc.

Benjamin S. Butcher serves as the Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of STAG Industrial, Inc., a position he has held since July 2010. Prior to the formation of STAG Industrial, Inc., Mr. Butcher oversaw the growth of STAG Capital Partners, LLC and its affiliates, serving as a member of their Board of Managers and Management Committees, from 2003 to 2011. From 1999 to 2003, Mr. Butcher was engaged as a private equity investor in real estate and technology. From 1997 to 1998, Mr. Butcher served as a Director at Credit Suisse First Boston, where he sourced and executed transactions for the Principal Transactions Group (real estate debt and equity). From 1993 to 1997, he served as a Director at Nomura Asset Capital, where he focused on marketing and business development for its commercial mortgage-backed securities group.

William G. Byrnes

Retired Managing Director, Alex Brown & Sons

William G. Byrnes has been a private investor since 2001. He was on the Board of Directors of CapitalSource Inc., a commercial lender operating principally through its subsidiary Capital Source Bank from 2003 until its sale in April 2014, serving in various capacities including Presiding Independent Director and, most recently, Chairman of the Board. He founded, and was Managing
Member of, Wolverine Partners, LLC, that operated MUTUALdecision, a mutual fund research business, from September 2006 to October 2012. Mr. Byrnes was co-founder of Pulpfree d/b/a BuzzMetrics, a consumer-generated media research and marketing firm, and served as its Chairman from June 1999 until its sale in September 2005. He was on the Board of Directors of LoopNet, Inc., an information services provider to the commercial real estate industry, from September 2006 until its sale in April 2012. Mr. Byrnes spent 17 years with Alex Brown & Sons, most recently as a Managing Director and head of the investment banking financial institutions group. He has been a full-time and adjunct professor and member of the Board of Regents at Georgetown University.

Edward S. Civera

Retired Chairman, Catalyst Health Solutions, Inc.

Edward S. Civera served as the Chairman of the Board of Catalyst Health Solutions, Inc., a publicly traded pharmacy benefit management company (formerly known as HealthExtras, Inc.), from 2005 until his retirement in December 2011. In 2012, he served as a senior advisor to management and the Board of Directors of Catalyst Health Solutions in connection with the sale of the company. Mr. Civera also served as Chairman of the MedStar Health System, a multi-institutional healthcare organization until his retirement from the board in November 2013. He currently serves as a trustee on the Board of Notre Dame of Maryland University. From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Civera was the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Chief Executive Officer of United Payors & United Providers, Inc. (UP&UP), a publicly-traded healthcare company that was sold in 2000. Prior to that, Mr. Civera spent 25 years with Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP), most recently as Managing Partner, focused on financial advisory and auditing services. Mr. Civera is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Civera has also served as a director of The Mills Corporation and MCG Capital Corporation.

Thomas H. Nolan, Jr.

Former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Spirit Realty Capital Inc.

Thomas H. Nolan, Jr., served as Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Spirit Realty Capital, Inc. from 2011 until 2017. Mr. Nolan previously worked for General Growth Properties, Inc. or GGP, serving as Chief Operating Officer from March 2009 to December 2010 and as President from October 2008 to December 2010. He also served as a member of the board of directors of GGP from 2005 to 2010. GGP filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in April 2009 and emerged from bankruptcy in November 2010. Mr. Nolan was a member of the senior management team that led GGP’s reorganization and emergence from bankruptcy, which included the restructuring of $15.0 billion in project-level debt, payment in full of all of GGP’s pre-petition creditors and the securing of $6.8 billion in equity commitments. From July 2004 to February 2008, Mr. Nolan served as a Principal and Chief Financial Officer of Loreto Bay Company, the developer of the Loreto Bay master planned community in Baja, California. From October 1984 to July 2004, Mr. Nolan held various financial positions with AEW Capital Management, L.P., a national real estate investment advisor, and from 1998 to 2004, he served as Head of Equity Investing and as President and Senior Portfolio Manager of The AEW Partners Funds.

Anthony L. Winns

Vice Adm. Anthony L. Winns (RET.) is President, Middle East-Africa Region, Lockheed Martin International, at Lockheed Martin Corporation, a position he has held since January 2013. Between October 2011 and January 2013, Mr. Winns was Vice President, International Maritime Programs, at Lockheed. Between July 2011 and October 2011, Mr. Winns was a defense industry consultant. Mr. Winns retired in June 2011 after 32 years of service in the United States Navy. He served as Naval Inspector General from 2007 to his retirement. From 2005 to 2007, Mr. Winns served as Director/Vice Director for Operations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Between 2003 and 2005, he was Deputy Director, Air Warfare Division for the Chief of Naval Operations. Prior to 2003, Mr. Winns served in other staff and leadership positions in Washington, D.C., including at the Bureau of Naval Personnel. He also served as commanding officer of several major commands, including the Pacific Patrol/Reconnaissance task force, the USS Essex, an amphibious assault carrier, and a naval aircraft squadron.

Mr. Thomas Q. Bakke

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Thomas Q. Bakke was named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of WRIT in April 2014. Prior to joining WRIT, he was Senior Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield where he was the Market Leader for Northern Virginia. From February 2007 to January 2012, Mr. Bakke held the position of Market Managing Director for Boston at Equity Office Properties, a national commercial real estate owner and a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group. Over his 20 plus years at Equity Office Properties, Mr. Bakke held a variety of other senior positions with the company and its predecessors including Senior Vice President, National Leasing and Senior Vice President, Field Operations.

Prior to joining Equity Office Properties in 1991, Mr. Bakke held positions with The Staubach Company and Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate Services (predecessor of CBRE). Mr. Bakke served in the U.S. Naval Reserve for 14 years and was a former F-14 aviator, attaining more than 1000 flight hours with direct involvement in such world crisis situations as the Iranian hostage rescue effort and the Iran-Iraq war. Mr. Bakke is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and has a MBA in Finance, attending MIT's Sloan School of Management and Golden Gate University.